When I first broke into tech, I felt like I was doing it alone.
Until I started hearing the stories.
Stories of other veterans who made the leap—who didn’t just survive the transition, but thrived.
They inspired me. They motivated me. And honestly? They helped me keep going on the hard days.
So today, I want to share three veteran tech success stories—and the powerful lessons they’ve taught me.
🧠 1. Jason: From Navy Cryptology to Google Security Engineer
Jason worked in cryptologic warfare in the Navy. When he got out, he had zero job offers.
He studied on his own for 9 months, applied to 85 jobs—and eventually landed a role in Google's cybersecurity team.
Lesson: Persistence is the hidden fourth weapon in your arsenal.
Key quote from Jason: "They can reject your resume, but they can’t cancel your work ethic."
👩💻 2. Serena: From Air Force Intelligence to AI Researcher
Serena served in intelligence analysis, then got obsessed with machine learning.
She used free tools (fast.ai, Kaggle) to build a portfolio—and now works on NLP projects with real-world impact.
Lesson: You don’t need a fancy degree. You need curiosity + consistency.
Key quote from Serena: "I built more from curiosity than I ever did from confidence."
🛠️ 3. Marcus: From Army Motor Pool to DevOps Lead
Marcus was a mechanic in the Army. After getting out, he taught himself scripting and infrastructure tools like Ansible and Docker.
Now he leads DevOps for a growing startup.
Lesson: Manual skills can become digital gold when applied to infrastructure.
Key quote from Marcus: "It’s all systems. Just new tools."
What These Stories Have in Common
None of them took a straight path.
All of them battled doubt, rejection, and a steep learning curve.
And all of them used their military foundation as fuel, not baggage.
Your Story Is Next
Whether you're in transition or already knee-deep in your tech career, remember this:
Others have done it—and so can you.
Success leaves a trail. Follow it. Then leave your own.
Keep following my journey at jameshenderson.online—where veterans rewrite their story, one line of code at a time.